Ornamental resilient spur



Nov. 8, 1949 I R. B, MCKINNEY 2,487,461

ORNAMENTAL RESILIENT SPUR Filed NOV. 13, 1947 I N V EN TOR: 05527 5:xii-lama Ezra/ave Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEORNAMENTAL RESILIENT SPUR Robert B. McKinney, Desert Hot Springs, Calif.Application November 13, 1947, Serial No. 785,628

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to spurs which are attachable to foot wearfor ornamental purposes or as dancing or stage equipment.

The conventional type of spurs used in riding equipment is provided withsteel rowels and shanks which are dug into the flanks of horses toinduce greater speed. Such use of spurs has largely been discontinuedamong civilized people but is becoming increasingly popular forornamental purposes, both for street wear and as stage or dancingequipment. It is found, however, that such steel rowel equipped spursare quite dangerous to wear particularly on the dance floor and manyattempts have been made to provide a spur combination which will satisfythe demands of the styles and .which may be worn without danger ofinjury to others.

In view of the foregoing, it is the object of my invention to provide aspur combination which is wholly or partly made from material which isso soft and resilient that no danger of injury to the wearer or toothers is possible.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in combinationtherewith, sound producing elements capable of producing such jinglingor tingling noises as are found desirable while the foot is moved inwalking or dancing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thecombinations hereafter fully described and reference is invited to theaccompanying drawings in which preferred forms of the invention areillustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a riding boot showing the device inposition thereon as in practice;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device as it appears when removed from theboot;

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the device.

As shown in Fig. 1, the device of the invention consists of a frame Ihaving an arcuate portion 2 extending around the heel of a boot and madewith a downwardly extending looped portion 3 which fits under the archof the boot. A strap 4 is suitably attached to this frame and it extendsover the instep of the boot to maintain the spur firmly in positionthereon.

As shown in Fig. 1, the frame is made entirely from soft flexiblematerial such as rubber or a suitable plastic composition. It isimportant to note that this frame extends, rearwardly from the heel ofthe boot in the form of a bar terminating in a preferably star-shapedmember 5 which in appearance is similar to the rowel used inconventional metal spurs. It is essential that the frame including themember 5 is made from very light resilient material so that it will fitthe boot snugly and so that the member 5 will yield when coming incontact with other objects. When so constructed, it is found that thedevice of the invention may be used on the stage or the dancing floorwithout danger of injury to anyone even when the member 5 comes soforcibly in contact with other objects as to fold the member completelyagai'nstthe heel portion of the boot. It is, of course; possible toremove the spur member 5 from the shank of the frame and to hang a softrubber rowel in the shank in the manner that rowels are conventionallysupported. But as the shank would have to be thickened and slotted inorder to hang the rowel therein, it would be difiicult so to shape theshank that it would be soft and resilient enough completely to yieldupon contact with other objects.

But while it is essential that the device be made from very softresilient material, as aforesaid, it may be found advisable to providewithin the framing reenforcing means to the end that the frame may fitsnugly around the boot and yet retain sufficient stiffness to resist anytend- I ency on the part of the frame to fold or crumple when broughtinto collison with other objects. Such reenforcing means is in Fig. 1shown in the shape of a wire (or wires) 6 which is embedded in the bodyof the frame, but I wish it understood that a flat piece of metal orother suitable resilient material may be substituted.

It is also essential in a device of this character that means heprovided for anchoring the strap 4 to the body of the frame and thatsuch means be so constructed as not to mar the appearance of the deviceand not to project beyond the surface thereof. Such attaching means is,in Fig. 1, shown in the shape of a, loop 1 which extends from a plate 8and the latter is molded or otherwise embedded into the material of theframe so that it will be held rigidly in position therein and notprojected from the sides thereof.

As above stated, the style commands that'such devices be fitted withnoise creating elements which may take the form of bells 9 such asshownin Fig. 1. These elements may be fastened to the frame in any suitablemanner as by screws 10 and it may be found advisable, in order toprovide more solid anchoring for these screws, to provide loops 1 l inthe reenforcing wires through which the screws are made to extend. Inmounting these bells, it will merely be required to puncture the framingmaterial in line with these loops at each place where it is desired tomount 3 a bell but such puncturing, of course; is not necessary where nobell is required. In case a reenforcing strip is preferred, it is merelyrequired to provide perforations through such strips for bell anchoringpurposes.

A simplified form of spur is in Fig. 3 shown to comprise an arcuateframe 20, terminating in a star-shaped member 2 The parts may remainsubstantially as indicated in Fig. 1, except that the looped portion 3is omitted. A strap 22 is, in this case extended through a loop23gwhich, like the loop I ismolded into the material of the frame 20.Suitable reenforcing 24 is also provided to support bells or other noisemaking attachments. ,1

I claim:

1. A spur combination for foot wear comprising an arcuate frameincluding a rearwardly extending shank terminating in a star-shapedelement, all made from a single piece nix-Softresilient material, loopsforwardly extending from .g-land embedded in th l framala dnastrapcxtend- 1 1 Sa J HSJE am nt he r a.mei ositiomonthe foot wear i 1/; 1A fur qmb n ie for foot wear comprisi ng an arcuate frame i nqludingarearwardly ext esl ngshankter ati n a a ap el 1:! man, lm s from. sinpiece a s tr 'lie t etetiah eeniorc me t m edded in; said 099s,: r a dye in rom. an emqe sl gi n t .fr me,---a dv a, strap xt ndi at 91 el gloops t 1. 9 1 th f m mm m h qq l e rqm 3. A spur combination for footwear comprising an arcuate frame including a rearwardly extending shankterminating in a star-shaped element, all made from a single piece ofsoft resilient material, reenforcing wires embedded in said frame, saidwires having loops formed therein, noise making members, fasteningelements for said members extending through said loops, other loopsforwardly extending from and embedded in the frame, and a strapextending through; said other loopszltoxmount the frame in ,1 positiononthea foot wear. w

ROBERT B. MCKINNEY.

REFERENCES CITED Number Name Date 218,705 Buermann Aug. 19, 1879 1:: 199383 Buermann. Sept.:13; 1910 1 31651 2 -,Bannerrr -"Feb. 6;1912 zxAprt,6;1948

